Silver Service in a hole

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capltd29

capltd29

Lead Service Attendant
Joined
Jun 27, 2004
Messages
340
Location
Richmond, VA
The Star is routinely 5 hours late, and the meteor 3-4 hours late, what the heck is going on, i thought that the new schedule as of August 1st would've helped but apparently not.

Is there a smoking gun?

I know the stupid heat restrictions have had a deleterious effect on the time keeping but i didnt think it would cause these types of delays.

What the heck is going on down there?

Jon Parker
 
It seems that yesterday(8/11) it took train 91(11), 5 hours to get between Washington, DC and Richmond, VA.

Tisk tisk tisk
 
Well, the Silver trains have never been the highest performing of the Amtrak LD trains, but it was normally around 2 hours, if I remember correctly.

If this is the normal behavior, it sure doesnt attract new customers....
 
capltd29 said:
If this is the normal behavior, it sure doesnt attract new customers....
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And that remains one of the biggest reasons that Amtrak has a hard time filling it's trains with passengers.

Amtrak will never make a profit IMHO, after all the airlines can't, but the trains would be doing much better if Amtrak or the FRA had some way to penalize poor performance from the host RR's.
 
Hi everybody! :D

Major changes have taken place since Aug. 1st. :eek:

As can be expected, all work schedules have been changed to 12am to 8am to support the running trains. As "noted" earlier, the trains are arriving late into Miami and allows only 2-3 hrs to "shoe", T/S, replace defective cars,make repairs and clean.

The crews are also reporting late to the station due to the mandatory sleep period.

We are experiencing some maintenance delays because of a manpower shortage. The shift is missing 40% of the electricians due to medical leaves. The amount of work and employee's opinion of management makes it difficult to fill the jobs with O/T. :eek: Can't force a person to do more than 8 hrs! :lol:

Miss the "old days" when there was communication and compassion between everyone! :( Local management expects "loyalty and dedication", but gives nothing back in return! Employees are being suspended 2 weeks for arriving 1-5 mins late 3 times in a 30 day period. :blink:

Will keep this up to date!

B)
 
AlanB said:
Amtrak will never make a profit IMHO, after all the airlines can't, but the trains would be doing much better if Amtrak or the FRA had some way to penalize poor performance from the host RR's.
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Amtrak should tell the freighters that if they don't want to at least try to run their trains on time, they can just do it themselves and get back into the passenger business they so happily agreed to exit in the first place.
 
battalion51 said:
Perfectly normal, perfectly natural behavior. This is everyday life folks, get used to it.
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But it's not normal! And I won't get used to it! Maybe when this consumer driven society can't afford to buy anything more from China, there won't be as much congestion on the railroad.
 
Miami Joe said:
Miss the "old days" when there was communication and compassion between everyone! :(   Local management expects "loyalty and dedication", but gives nothing back in return! Employees are being suspended 2 weeks for arriving 1-5 mins late 3 times in a 30 day period. :blink:
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Aloha

Even being a lobor Rep. (Union) being on time is one rule I support. When someone is late and/or unprepared their co-workers suffer.
 
GG-1 said:
Aloha
Even being a lobor Rep. (Union) being on time is one rule I support. When someone is late and/or unprepared their co-workers suffer.
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I agree!

But our contract(IBEW) says an employee has 40 minutes a week, in or out, to use at his descretion when punching in or out.

Management has applied 8 minutes a day at time of punch-out.

We used to have descretion, but was taken away when swipecard system was installed. Card system has been replaced with a timeclock, but management refuses to abide by contract. :angry:

Joe in Miami B)
 
Miami Joe said:
Card system has been replaced with a timeclock, but management refuses to abide by contract.   :angry:
Joe in Miami B)
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Aloha

I would sugest you recheck the contract when the clock change was implimented. Management can not disregard what is written. You have specific remedies for that, but when the change was allowed they may have snuck somthing in.

If you are correct about the alowable time then stand up for it and grieve the situation.

I want Amtrak to ride, but not at the price of alowing violations of contracts, then what's next, voilations of safety. no be sure you are correct, then proceed.
 
Miami Joe maybe you can enlighten the forum about what's going on in Miami. I hear a conductor, foreman and machinist are out of service after a derailment in the coach yard. I'm sure that doesnt improve moral. Is there anymore you can add?
 
Many times immediately right after an incident guys are pulled out of service pending the investigation. If they are cleared of charges they get back pay for the work they missed, if not the suspension is retroactive to when they were pulled out of service. Usually the most anyone will spend out of service is 30 days. I also believe the derailment you're talking about happened a while back, but they do happen every now and then so I could be wrong. Finally, someone getting pulled out of service usually doesn't effect morale unless it's total B.S., which does happen every now and then. In fact, in some cases it can boost morale, because there are some people (I hate to say it) need it and deserve it. :(
 
Looks like P097-13 was terminated in Orlando. They have come back north to AutoTrain and are currently backing in there for the night. Will that be the 98 for tomorrow, and if so will they bus pax up from Miami and intermediate points, or just from Orlando? Bat, do you know the answer to that one? Fortunately this was a P001 outbound day, so there isn't a Sunset there to clean and turn around for tomorrow.
 
Haven't had a derailment in the yard in the last few months! :) Last one I can recall was the coach flipped on it's side by CSX! :lol:

Morale is so-so in the yard. <_< Hialeah is severly undermanned in most positions and hard to fill slots! :( Have had a few people transfer here and go back home because of work conditions! :eek: Rumor has it that Amtrak is not hiring from "outside" and slots only filled by current employees.

GG-1! I hear ya, but you're not here! In the last 3 yrs, our local has become ineffective! :angry: Management has realized that complaints are dealt with vocally and no paperwork. I know that grievances have to be put on paper, but no one makes the effort. Management has taken advantage of this weakness and has taken away "tech" rates and A/C rates in the last 18 months. Would you believe that they have rationed bottled water for the employees! :eek:

There was an article in this months Amtrak Ink from our Master Mechanic! :lol: What a load of ****!!!!! :lol: Wish it was 1/2 as good as he said it was! :p

MJ B)
 
Joe, in case you haven't noticed EVERYTHING in Amtrak Ink is propaganda to make people think things are better than they really are. I had a hard time not falling over laughing when I read this months issue.
 
Miami Joe said:
GG-1! I hear ya, but you're not here! In the last 3 yrs, our local has become ineffective! :angry: Management has realized that complaints are dealt with vocally and no paperwork. I know that grievances have to be put on paper, but no one makes the effort.  Management has taken advantage of this weakness and has taken away "tech" rates and A/C rates in the last 18 months. Would you believe that they have rationed bottled water for the employees! :eek:
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Aloha

Willing to bet that your local members have gone the same direction as those in mine. There is a quote "we have met the Enemy and they are us. They spend more time fighting each other, instead of employers.

Good luck
 
Miami Joe said:
Morale is so-so in the yard. <_< Hialeah is severly undermanned in most positions and hard to fill slots! :( Have had a few people transfer here and go back home because of work conditions! :eek: Rumor has it that Amtrak is not hiring from "outside" and slots only filled by current employees.
GG-1! I hear ya, but you're not here! In the last 3 yrs, our local has become ineffective! :angry: Management has realized that complaints are dealt with vocally and no paperwork. I know that grievances have to be put on paper, but no one makes the effort. Management has taken advantage of this weakness and has taken away "tech" rates and A/C rates in the last 18 months. Would you believe that they have rationed bottled water for the employees! :eek:
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Miami Joe,

Amtrak has actually been posting for Miami Shops on the Jobs site. Will this help any? In Chicago we have too much water laying around some is on the BNSF ROW from BNSF Crews :eek:
 
Miami Joe said:
GG-1! I hear ya, but you're not here! In the last 3 yrs, our local has become ineffective! :angry: Management has realized that complaints are dealt with vocally and no paperwork. I know that grievances have to be put on paper, but no one makes the effort. Management has taken advantage of this weakness and has taken away "tech" rates and A/C rates in the last 18 months. Would you believe that they have rationed bottled water for the employees! :eek:
MJ B)
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Joe, if ya ask me, I believe are unions sleep with managment so to say! I haven't really felt any representation by the union other than a little card to carry around in my wallet reminding me of a large chuck of the 'important stuff" being removed from it each month! OBS ... :blink: :ph34r:
 
I've seen the jobs posted by Amtrak. The few people who responded went back to their old jobs within days! :lol: When they see the amount of work, the lack of manpower and the current relationship between employees and management, they go home within the 30 day period! :( The sad thing is the "regulars" are starting to ask for transfers! :unsure:

My opinion of unions is "low"! Even though local membership is between 30-50 at times in our craft, They have forgotten that complaints need to be filed in writing to create a "paper trail", rely on vocal interaction at a local level, and might be fearful of retribution upon themselves at the local level.

MJ B)
 
Is there any light at the end of the tunnel for the Silver Service?

98 (17) Arrived 7-8 hours late into RVR today, 92(18) has just arrived RVR at 437 pm ET.

god...
 
I hate to bring back a long dead topic, but i didnt think it was necessary to start a new one.

I just wantd to add that 92 (29) arrived New York Penn Sta. 2 mins late today (30)

It can be done!!
 

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